


Fire Lily

by Cherrydragon26



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Dragons, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-22 23:40:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20330428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cherrydragon26/pseuds/Cherrydragon26
Summary: How Zuko and Druk meet.





	Fire Lily

**Author's Note:**

> For some reason the only character I write about for this fandom always turns out to be Zuko (or Iroh, or both). Guess who is my favorite character, right?
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

For some reason these days Zuko is always warm. He feels a fire in his soul, in his heart. It spreads like a blaze, and it burns every part of his body. He is burning, inside him it feels like a blazing sun. And he doesn't know how to stop it. No doctor knows what to do. He isn't sick, it isn't any known disease. It is something else.

Zuko asked Aang if he could help him figure it out. Aang tried, he really did, but even with both of them ( and occasional help from Sokka and Katara), they didn't find much. So Zuko turned to the only other person that could know more than any of them. However even Iroh was in loss at what to say about these weird symptoms of Zuko's disease.

"I have only read about something similar once. The book is hopefully somewhere in here," he said and went to the back, to look for the specific book, Zuko hoped would be helpful. He waited patiently, scratching the places of burns so he could forget about this pain in his body.

"Ah! It is in here! Come here Zuko! Look at this!" Iroh enthusiastically called for his nephew and he quickly walked up to him. Looking over the book, the scarred boy was surprised to see, it was about the extinct dragons and their abilities. "What does this mean Uncle?" Zuko asked really confused about this whole situation.

"It means there is another dragon alive. And it is calling for you."

* * *

"So let me repeat this again. You want us to go with you to the Sun warriors because you think there exists another dragon and it is calling for you?" Toph asked sceptically, and I winced, because she was right. It sounded crazy. But it can't be.

"I know it is hard to believe, but please Toph believe me. Iroh told me that one of the symptoms people feel when their dragon is calling for them is fire burning inside them. You don't understand because you can't feel what I do. My blood is boiling, my hands are shaking from the pressure of the fire I feel inside me. Or whatever this is. If you don't want to go, you don't have to, but it would be better if at least one of you come with me," Zuko announced, and Toph snorted at that.

"I didn't say I wanted to miss this adventure out. It sounds interesting, I am coming along. I just wanted to say how absurd it sounds, that is all."

"I agree with Toph. And if you ask I wouldn't miss it for anything. Unlike you and Aang, I never saw a dragon and I really want to. Now that I have the chance, I am not going to lose it," Sokka said proudly and Katara snorted behind him. "I see you conventionally forgot about all the chores you have to do these days. If this idiot goes, someone has to stay behind and help out. Unfortunately I will have to pass," Katara announced.

"I am going too, Zuko!" Aang said happily, but then Katara pinned him with a stern look and Aang slouched a little. "Don't you also have some things to do?"

"No, nothing that important," Aang complained, trying to sound truthful. "I don't believe that one bit. You are the Avatar. You always have something to do. But I am going to let you go this time, just because the Fire Lord asked you personally," she said teasingly, looking at Zuko with a smug smile, making everyone giggle at that. Zuko groaned and sent her away as quickly as he could.

"All right now that we decided who is going and who isn't, let's go pack," Zuko announced and turned around, being followed by three other humans. "We are right behind you, Zuko! Let's go on this dragon search!" Sokka exclaimed, and both Toph and Aang agreed.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Sokka asked, while everyone else groaned. "You asked the same question five minutes ago, so the answer is still the same. No we haven't arrived yet," Zuko answered, hoping something will happen and shut him up. There was silence for two more minutes before Sokka started again.

"This is is boring! Let's talk about something interesting! Zuko talk to us about this dragon business a bit? Why is it so important for you to go right now?"

"Because if I don't I will miss my chance forever," Zuko answered and was met with three confused faces. So he continued to explain.

"It's because if I am not there when it gets born, I will miss my chance to connect with it and it will live without me. I have a feeling I would regret that decision for the rest of my life."

"Wait, we are searching for a dragon egg? A newborn dragon baby?" Sokka shouted surprised and the scarred boy nodded. "But how do you know that Zuko? I mean dragons had been extinct for a long time...." Aang asked, while Toph seemed totally uninterested in this conversation. But Zuko knew better.

"It was written in that book my uncle had," He answered and Toph suddenly started laughing. "Of course Iroh is the solution. Isn't he always? That man has everything and knows everything right? A book about dragons, damn," She continued to laugh and Zuko joined in, because she was right. In a way, a lot of times Iroh had all the answers.

"Maybe. But he is human too. He isn't perfect," Zuko said remembering how Iroh acted after Lu Ten died. "Well I don't know about you, but I am perfect. I don't need anything else. I am perfect as I am," Toph said proudly and all of us started laughing. "That is true. I think every one of us is perfect just the way we are," Zuko's inner Iroh said, and everyone looked at him until they agreed and the conversation changed into something else.

* * *

"Is it this one?" Sokka asked, and Zuko had to use a lot of restrain not to roll his eyes. "That's a stone, stupid. Like for real who is blind here? You or me?" Toph answered sarcastically, when Aang jumped in:" Toph is right. It's not what we are looking for. But I am sure we will find it soon. So just continue looking, Sokka okay?"

While he was rummaging around the dirt, Zuko felt Aang coming closer. "Zuko we are close aren't we?"

"Yes, I feel it in my bones. We are getting closer. It is getting warmer."

"Okay then," Aang said and started helping him move the rock before him.

"Hey guys, I think you should come see this!" Toph shouted and both Aang and Zuko moved fast over to her. Digging a bit more, Zuko's limbs started to burn and he knew this was it. His arms just needed to produce white smoke, that is how much they were burning.

When he felt the egg in his hands, his heart fastened it's pace. But what was even more impressive is that he felt the thump of the dragons heart even inside it's egg. It felt alive, it felt warm, it felt like fire was coursing through him. It was such an all encompassing experience he couldn't notice anything else.

Sokka started shouting:" Do we also get a dragon? Boy, would I like my own dragon baby!"

Toph hit him on the arm and snarled:" Shut up, Sokka," which made him pout, but he didn't say anything else. Aang slowly came closer, because since Zuko found what he guessed was the egg, he hadn't moved from the spot. It even seemed like he hadn't even been breathing at all.

He put his hand on Zuko's arm and asked:" Hey you alright?"

"Yes, I am fine. Even better than fine. Let's go. We found what we came for, now we only have to wait for it to hatch"

* * *

"Zuko will you stop pacing?" Iroh asked, sighing in exasperation at Zuko's impatience. Zuko stopped, looked at Iroh and continued.

"I can't. I am nervous. I know it will happen today. And I am happy, I am here. But it still makes me nervous. Every time I think about it, I feel like I am not ready. Do people who have children experience this too?"

"Interesting comparison my nephew. Maybe they do. I can't say for sure. But even if that is true, you have to calm down. Being frantic won't help no one, you understand?" Iroh pleaded, and Zuko stopped again, and sat on a chair nearest to him, sighing loudly.

"Yeah I understand."

There was silence between them, until both of them heard a thunder from the outside.

"It seems like the storm is coming. It smelled like rain would fall today. It's good we are in the house right, Zuko?"

"Yeah, I suppose so," Zuko says, and wonders if this was some kind of sign to him from the gods, or from the heaven.

He looked over at the egg, laying cozily near the fire and in a blanket. _Hopefully everything turns out alright._

* * *

The rain was getting harder. Zuko waited impatiently, sitting next to the egg and watching it intently. Iroh already went to sleep, and he said Zuko should too. But he didn't understand. How could he? When it feels like he was burning in the oven? When it feels like he was getting roasted for dinner?

He couldn't be more awake and alarmed if he wanted to. The storm was entering it's peak. The wind could be heard, the earth was shaking from the strength of it. The clock was ticking away, but other than that complete silence in the house.

When suddenly he heard a crack. Zuko also saw the shell of the egg breaking. Anticipation hit him and he almost jumped closer to the egg, not taking his eyes of it. Not even blinking. The cracks started to get bigger, and he could almost see the dragons body.

It's eye was the first one to appear, like it was inspecting the environment. When the dragons eye settled on Zuko, it started to tear the egg even more. _It is hatching. It is really hatching! My dragon! My own dragon!_

At the same time the dragon hatched, a thunder cracked and you could see the lighting shine across the sky in the distance. But Zuko had his eyes and ears only on the dragon before him. Picking it up, he saw his red scales, and heard a small screech that probably came from the dragon. That sight made happiness well up in him. He couldn't resist but greet the dragon, even if it probably didn't understand him.

"Welcome to the world of the living, my dragon"

* * *

Celebrations were made. All the important people to Zuko were invited. The party was well under way, but the main star was sitting on the chair looking fondly at the small reptile across him, play with his food. "It's not good to play with food," Zuko commented amused at the dragons antics. The small dragon turned it's head around, looked at Zuko and let out a sound that sounded like a snort before returning to what it did earlier. 

That made Zuko laugh, and he continued to inspect his dragon, until Sokka strolled over and asked:" How you gonna call him Zuko?"

Zuko thought about that. He thought about the night his dragon hatched. The storm, the rain, the lightning, the thunder. It all seemed to point him to an answer. After thinking it over again he settled on an answer.

"Druk. I am calling it Druk"

The dragon turned it's head like it already accepted the name, and understood it was called. It made Zuko smile wider, and he petted Druk with his finger to show his love. Druk raised his head and bit Zuko's finger, making him wince in pain. But he let Druk bite him, because he knew it was Druk's way of showing he was fond of Zuko too.


End file.
